Running 40

DISCLAIMER:  Blogger is not my friend tonight...my pics and links don't seem to want to play nice together! And spacing...let's don't even go there!  As soon we can come to a truce, I will update and post again!!!   Thank you!  #hateblogger #bloggerhatesme #mustusehashtagsineverythingido #justgoalongwithit

Today is my birthday, today is my birthday…yea yea yea! 

I can hardly believe that I am…well…guess I might as well go ahead and put it out there…I AM 39 TODAY!  WOOT WOOT!  (By the way, anything with a “WOOT WOOT” always looks more exciting than it probably is)!

Seriously, as old as 39 seems to me, it defiantly doesn’t seem as old to me as it did 10 years ago.  And it is defiantly not has OLD as I will be one year from now.  I am on the road to 40 people and there is nothing but blue skies and saggy thighs ahead (if some things don’t change)!

40 is a milestone!  It’s a privilege that is not afforded to a lot of folks.  My dad died when he was just 38.  The guilt of reaching a number that my dad never could has been terribly hard for me these last few months, but after a “Come to Jesus meeting” with myself in recent weeks…I realize that it is time to let “this” past go.

Parents always say they never want to outlive their children but children just want to be assured that their parents had a great LONG life.  Letting go is so incredibly hard but a necessary part of being able to clearly focus on the rest and BEST of what my life has to offer.

I have two ridiculously amazing children and an equally ridiculously fabulous hunk of a husband (ok…so now I sound like I might be preparing to be a contestant on Family Feud), but really people…it’s the truth (well, at least how I see it)! 

This blog is my journey to my 40.  I can promise you that I will have a lot of ups and downs and I will share them all.  I’m not saying this will be pretty or easy.  But it will be honest and it will be mine.  I have no intention of hitting 40 gracefully and/or fully intact.  Bumps and bruises will be expected.  Dirty from head to toe will be a must; otherwise, how on earth will you know how much fun I had.


This will be year of self-discovery.  Let me clarify that sentence for you a little – This year will include as much self-discovery as I can fit in while just trying to go to the bathroom alone.  Odds are, I will get approximately 1 minute and 52 seconds of self-discovery every day before the minions realize that I am missing from my snack making post and pull out all the stops to safely and quickly return me my designated work location.

This will be a year to try new things, to speak my mind (this is your last warning…you better get out while you can) and to do things just for me just because I want to. 

You know that little old church lady that you gave a gift to last year and she said, “Thank you so much for this beautiful gift.”? This year, you gave her a similar gift and she said, “What do you expect me to do with this cheap piece of junk you found at Dollar Tree that I am going to have to dust now”.  That’s who I want to be – only slightly filtered.

While I doubt that I will win the lottery (although that would make a great blog post) and I am pretty sure I will not be awarded the Nobel peace prize (although I have some pretty good ideas I can share with some of the nominees if they just get in contact with me), I do plan to make this year something special.  I want it to be something worth remembering and a year to push me to my limits (both good and bad)!

We don’t grow and get better by having things go our way all the time.  We only grow when we are challenged and tested and we find things that motivate and drive us into the life, which at this point, we have only been able to dream about.

By 40, I will be – note I said WILL BE - as fit physically, mentally and financially as I have ever been.  Nothing is going to hold me back this time, well, unless of course, I fall and break a hip or finally hide well enough in the bathroom that the minions can’t get to me and I can’t find my way out.

Truthfully, I am beyond excited to see what this year has to hold and even more excited to experience it and tell you all about it!  While I don’t promise to post daily, because honestly, my life is really not that exciting, I do plan to keep you in the loop.  This year is going to be fantastic and I don’t want to waste one single second of it - making every moment count.

I’ll be running to 40…it won’t be running me!

By the way, in the next few weeks, I will be moving this post over to my NEW AND FANCY blog location that is still under construction…because yes, I procrastinate like that.  I’ll put up a post to let you know when it is up and running so you can head over there and experience all the fun I have to offer.  While nothing I will have to post will be considered EARTH SHATTERING…I do hope you find it entertaining and enlightening.  Get ready for some GOOD TIMES and go on this journey to 40 with me!

Wishing you a HAPPY HAPPY Wednesday and a fantastic rest of your life!!! 

Thankful Thursday!

Instead of posting on Facebook for 30 days about things I am thankful for, I’m going to give it to you all at one time.  To be perfectly honest, I’m just that lazy some days and focusing for that long is nearly impossible for me.  So, here goes…

 

1.     I am thankful I am not a turkey, deer or a duck this time of year. 

2.    I am thankful for deodorant and that most people use it.

3.     I am thankful for 10 toes with good grip.  How else would I be able to pick up so many things off the floor without having to bend over?

4.    I am thankful that my vacuum has wheels.  You know that piece of lint on your carpet that just will not come up?  Best thing about wheels.

5.    I am thankful for Macklemore.  It’s ok to THRIFTSHOP!!!

6.     I am thankful for darkness.  Seriously, who wants to witness me running in the light of day?

7.    I am thankful for Facebook.  Neglecting my family so that I can see what you had for lunch has never been so easy.

8.    I am thankful for Miley Cyrus.  Without her, I quite frankly may never have figured out what to twerk or when to tweet.

9.    I am thankful for coupons.  Scoring $972 worth of products that I will never ever use for $2.88 is the best feeling ever.

10.I am thankful for Obama.  I don’t feel so bad that I voted for George “W”’s 2^nd term.

11.  I am thankful for magic easers.  Instead of repainting the house, the blood just wipes off the walls.

12. I am thankful for control top -- I instantly get the appearance of doing 100 days of sit-ups.

13.  I am thankful for caller id.   I can see who is calling and avoid you if I want to.

14. I am thankful for auto correct.  Nothing can make me look like an idiot quicker than pressing SEND.

15. I am thankful for medication.  How else would I be able to make it through the holidays so merry and bright?

16.  I am thankful for GPS.  I don’t know how I ever managed to get home from work every day without getting lost.

17. I am thankful for texting.  I can manage an entire relationship without ever saying a word.

18. I am thankful for all the sex scandals.  Even more thankful that my name didn’t appear in any of them.

19.   I am thankful for mopeds.  I get a chance to test my defensive driving skills every single day.

20. I am thankful for tailgating drivers.  By honking your horn and flashing your lights, you have alerting me to my impending doom.  I must have been driving too fast…let me sloooooww down for you.  Hint…next time leave sooner!

21. I am thankful for chevron.  The fashion industry would have had absolutely nothing to print on clothes this summer without it. 

22.  I am thankful for Zumba.  I found parts of my body that I never knew existed.

23.I am thankful for self-restraint.  I would hate to have to introduce you to the real country girl that lives inside me when you tick me off.

24.  I am thankful for my family.  I have learned to accept them for who they are.  We will just leave it at that.

25.   I am thankful for my son.  Without him, I never would have discovered that Pluto really wasn’t a planet.

26.I am thankful for my daughter.  My mom always wished that I would have a child that acted just like me.  Guess grandma forgot she would be the one babysitting.

27.  I am thankful for my husband.  He taught me to translate.  “It cost $30” in man talk is translated into woman terms “I paid $75.”  “I will be there in 10 minutes”….translates to…”30 minutes is soon enough”.

28.  I am thankful for all the junk in my purse.  If a skinny mugger tries to take it and run, I imagine he won’t get very far.  Dead weight is heavy.

29.  I am thankful for you.  If it wasn’t for you reading this, I wouldn’t have wasted the last 6 hours composing it.

30.  Last but certainly not least, I am thankful that I will not have to come up with a new list until next year.  Whew…I’m exhausted.

Happy Thanksgiving Yall!!!  Eat Turkey, Sleep Well!

 

5 Ways to Make Thanksgivng VERY MERRY!!!

Whether visiting with family, eating out, or staying home, here are 5 ways that you can make Thanksgiving Merry and Bright…oh wait…that’s Christmas.  Never mind, here goes…

 

1.    GIVE THOSE FACE MUSCLES A WORKOUT.  Smile people.  Nobody cares if you burned your hand on the curling iron or if your kids kicked over the green beans in the car.  Slap a band-aid on the burn, scoop up what you can from the floor board and turn that frown upside down.  Remember, smiling boosts your immune system.  NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY, wants to catch whatever Aunt Kim is sneezing all over that turkey. 

 

 

2.    SHARE THE LOVE AND THE BOUNTY.  Ask Cousin Betty how she’s doing…even if you don’t care.  Make small talk with strange relatives.  Talk about the weather but stay clear of politics.  As for food, don’t reach for the last piece of white meat, even if you starved yourself for weeks in preparation. Save that last slice of little layer chocolate cake so Uncle Ralph can take it home to his wife who has double pneumonia and broke her leg coming out of the house on her way today.  Their kids have already told you that she’s home putting up the tree…just play along!  Remember…there is still plenty of that dreaded pumpkin pie left.  

 

3.    PLEAD THE 5^TH!   When the conversation turns to something that you know is going to make you want to set your hair on fire, play dumb and change the subject.  When someone asks what you did last Friday night, don’t tell them that you got a little too rowdy and the next thing you knew you woke up behind some metal bars in a pretty orange jumpsuit.  PLAY DUMB and CHANGE THE SUBJECT.  Say, “Wow…last Friday was forever ago.  On second thought, I think I will have a piece of that delicious pumpkin pie?”  See how easy that was.  Get up and walk away.  DONE.  SAVED.  YOUR SECRET IS SAFE WITH ME.

 

4.    TAKE A WALK.  If you can’t play dumb (and I don’t see why you can’t), get up and go for a walk.  We all know that someone is going to show up that you just don’t like.  It happens.  It’s family.  Instead of sitting in the corner rolling your eyes and mumbling crazy rantings under your breath, go outside.  Fresh air can do a body good.   Your grandma is not prepared to see that rowdy side of you that caused you problems last Friday night.  Remember? Pumpkin pie anyone?

 

 

5.    DON’T NAP ON THE COUCH.  If turkey makes you tired, stay off the sofa.  Rest assured, the last thing the person who has been slaving away in the hot kitchen for two days wants is some slug curled up under her warm blanking sleeping off an overdose of turkey and dressing.  If anyone wants to be confined to the couch for a day, it would be the cook.  Don’t wear out your welcome…GO HOME.

Seriously folks, Thanksgiving can be stressful in a wonderful kind of way.  Someone, or maybe a lot of someones, have worked really hard to pull off this feast.  Take time to thank them for all of their hard work.  Offer to help with the dishes or take out the trash.  If its ok with the host, bring a guest…someone that otherwise might have spent the holiday alone.  Monitor your mouth and don’t say things that could cause tensions to mount.  Be respectful of everyone and have fun.  Family and friends don’t spend enough time during the year together, so make these moments count.  Regardless of your situation, you have plenty to be thankful for.  And if all else fails, remember, you can be sure of the fact that Thanksgiving only comes once a year!!!

Well...Jingle My Bells!

Can you believe that it is almost Thanksgiving?  Usually by this time in November, I have all of my trees up, the lawn decorated and have heard “Run Run Rudolph” 3000 times.  This year, I’m having a difficult time getting into the spirit.  I sort of feel like Rudolph when he lost his glow...all my bells have lost their jingle.

 

Speaking of jingling bells, have you seen Kmart’s "Jingle Bells" commercial?  If not, you have lucked up tonight because it can be found right here?  You really should check it out, but first let me provide you with a disclaimer:  "This commercial quite possible could be rated PG13 - ok maybe PG17 - but it’s still worth a watch (or 12)!"

 

Seriously, who is shopping at Kmart this Christmas?  I know I am!!!

 

Back to the blog.  This weather…let me get into the Facebook spirit of Thanksgiving… Day 19 – I am very thankful that we have weather; however, I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind.  Do you want me warm and cozy and snuggled by the fire or do you want me sipping on margaritas at the beach?  I guess if you ask a man, Mother Nature is just like every other woman on earth...just can’t make up her mind.

 

Last week it was snow flurries and hot chocolate and  this week it is sunshine and bikinis. Strike that.  Reverse it, unless of course that mental image is already burned into your brain.  I doubt I will ever be seen in a bi-kini again.  Some really cute shorts and a tank top could work though.  Moving on…

 

Whether I wish it so or not, there are halls to be decked, songs to be sung, presents to be wrapped, goodwill to be spread and eggnog to be made.  On second thought…if I make the eggnog first, everything else might just go a little smoother.

 

Truthfully, I love Christmas.  It is my most "favoritest" holiday ever (and I'm not just saying that because of all the huge presents I get *wink*wink*).   Sometimes I just need a little push or maybe a great big shove to get me started.  

 

Where is Cindy Lou Who when you need her?  I think a quick trip to Whoville is in the stars tonight!

 

What makes Christmas magical for you?  What jingle your bells?

 

By the way, only in the south can Christmas and bikinis be talked about at the same time and no one finds it unusual. 

 

Peace and Love and Chocolate!!!

Attention Corn Hole Players: Please Vacate The Beach...Immediately!

In case you haven’t noticed, I have been MIA for a couple weeks.

A lot has been going on and I just haven’t felt up to writing.

To me, writing is final.  Writing puts everything into perspective. Writing stores everything in its place.  Writing comes easy at times. At others, writing is exhausting and emotionally draining.

This week, I’m drained.

So, until I am ready to share, let’s talk fun!

Summer is almost over (well, at least according to the school calendar)! 

Book bag – check.  School supplies – check – well, sort of!

I still need gallon bags and Kleenex.  For some reason, gallon bags are essential BACK TO SCHOOL items in this part of the country.

Lucky for me, we don’t buy our new school clothes until it gets cold – no need to buy jeans until we need them, right?  So, we don’t have to spend our time scouting out the latest fashions and the coolest kicks.

We get to spend our time working on our SUMMER BUCKET LIST. (Yes, I am one of those Pinterest Moms.  Yes, I created my kids a summer bucket list.  DON'T JUDGE!) 

Sad to report, but we had a lot going on this summer, and were unable to accomplish much on our list; however, SUMMER IS NOT OVER YET.

We usually take the kids on vacation the week and weekend just before school starts back.  There last hoorah usually involves pulling into town the night before the big day.  This year, it is going to be a little different.

We have decided (everyone agreed) to have a sta-cation.  We are going to play tourists in our own little town (except for the touristy driving part…we will obey the rules of the road). 

Waterparks, mini-golf, ferris wheels, snow-cones, air-brushed t-shirts, old-time photos, roller coasters…if you can think it, we are going planning to do it.  There is nothing like trying to cram a summer’s worth of fun into 7 days with a couple of kids.  AND I MEAN NOTHING! (Sounds like someone might need to be medicine induced.)

Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not like we haven’t done anything this summer.

We have had some fun.

Just not the kind of mind-bending, sugar overloading, wet your pants kind of fun that kids love.

We did finally check  #876 off the list this weekend though - SPEND THE AFTERNOON AT THE BEACH. 

 

I know… it’s not that big of a deal when you live 10 minutes away every day.  What is a big deal though is that we were able to actually get to the beach without sitting in traffic for an hour or so. To top it all off, we actually had room to spread out our towels when we got there.

All in all, we had a blast.

We sifted the sand...
 

We played in the surf..

We mastered the waves...sort of (see that splash)...
 

We were chased by birds...

 

And Stung by jellyfish (who knew bringing vinegar to the beach was a requirement)...

You have to look closely...

We did have to deal with a group of middle aged men playing corn hole for a while, but thankfully they left soon after we arrived.  (I don’t know about you, but I was always under the impression that men liked to drink beer and watch the babes at the beach.  Clearly, I must have been wrong.)

I am so excited for next week!!!!  It is going to be jam packed with fun and adventure.

It is not often that I get to spend a lot of YES time with the kids.  Most of the time, we are on a schedule, and a budget.

To me, the best part of the whole week will be that the kids won’t know that we are making memories; they will just think we are having fun!

Happy Summer Endings!  Send it out with a BANG!

Back In Action - No Words Wednesday (Picture Words Don't Count!)

 

 

 

 

 

All About Town

This week, I had the chance to travel around our fine little county!  While very little surprises me anymore, I did see a few things that I thought were worth mentioning.

A little known fact about me (well, maybe not so little known), is that I attract weirdness and maybe some weirdoes too.  I see the strangest things…that is the main reason I started taking a camera with me everywhere I go.

What I discovered this week…

There is a replica of Boss Hog’s car –horns and all--cruising around Surfside Beach. 

Oh…did I mention that the car is pink?  I tried to get a picture for you, but I had to think about my own safety over your happiness this time.  Don't worry, I am planning to stalk 544 for you this weekend.  I will not be able to rest until I snap a pic of that little beauty!

All Wal-Mart stores DO NOT CARRY the same items.

I guess that is not really news to you, or me, for that matter, but I would expect stores in the same area to carry similar product lines.   Unfortunately, just as in life, my expectations and assumptions are usually wrong.  However, I did luck up and find this fine specimen of chevron awesomeness.  Yes…I know chevron is just about played out, but I think this will add the perfect touch to some of my fall designs.

Some styles are better suited for me than others.

I found this little lovely at Wal-Mart.  Honestly, I can’t explain it, but this baby was calling my name and I couldn’t leave the store without it, especially since it was $3.88!  Not sure if it reminds me of my grandma or a flower shop or was just the best option that was available at the time, but it made me smile. 

Jealous, right?   

This, on the other hand, was best left at the store.  Not sure if it was in the wrong location or in the wrong department all together.  What do you really think I am going to be able to put in there?

 

 

Piece of advice…Just because they make something in your size, doesn’t mean you are supposed to wear it.

Chic-Fil-A offers FACE TO FACE ordering (and it is awesome).

I swung by Chic-Fil-a in North Myrtle for some yummy nuggets—really I just wanted the Polynesian sauce, but with sauce you must have a dipper, hence the nuggets. 

Anyway…when I pulled into the drive through, they had cones set out and these three poor pitiful employees were standing out in the heat taking orders. I assumed, incorrectly, that their drive through speaker must have been broken. 

A guy motioned for me to pull forward to the next sweaty attendant (actually she wasn’t sweaty at all in the 105 degree heat---would love to know her secret).
 

She took my order, handed me this cute little order form and told me to pull around.  The next gal, called in my order on her head seat.  She told me my total and I continued to move along the conveyor belt drive through.  I was met by this happy little lady that took my credit card and I continued forward.  Immediately, as I approached the pick-up window, my order, credit card and receipt shot out the window just like magic. 

Two minutes tops and I had been served.  AWESOME.  Well, except for one thing…

My car is apparently a sedan.

While the gal with the headset was phoning in my order, she told her partner I was in a white sedan.  Really?  A Sedan?  That sounds like something old women drive.  Why couldn’t she just say "In the Honda"?  I realize she was young and my car probably wasn’t hip enough for her, but she didn’t have to resort to calling my transportation a sedan.  Maybe I should have asked her for my senior discount too.

People actually smoke or huff of whatever they do with Hookah while driving.

I kid you not!  I saw a painter guy in his painter van doing Hookah going down 17.  That was a first for me.  I wanted a picture as proof, but once again worried about my own safety.  Keep your eyes peeled and you may just see it for yourself.

Please people…don’t ask me what Hookah is – ask your children – they can tell you! 

I also learned…

Some parents say the most repulsive things to their kids when they don’t think anyone can hear them.

Our road system sucks.

People drive like aliens abducted their car (and their brains).

I hate traffic.

I am always glad to go HOME to my FAMILY!

My wish for you this weekend is to make it fabulous.  We all have millions of things to get done in two short days, so make it count!

Remember: If you see me stalking you, you might just end up on my blog!

Lots of love!

~Jess